Cocking mechanism for automatic machine guns



Mar. 6, 1923.

J. 5. JOHNSTON COCKING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC MACHINE GUNS Filed Aug.25, 1917 l/Vl/EA/TOH JAMES 8. JHHNSTDA! ATTORNEY Patented er. 6, 1923.

misreirnivri'issf aoiiusrom or U'IICA, NEW YORK.

cockine MECHANISM non AUTOMATIC i/LA'CHINE was;

Application filed August25, 1917i SeriaI NO. 188,085.

17 '0 all whom izf'm'ay concern:

Be it'known thatI, JAMEs S. JoHNs'roia,

a citizen of the United States residing Utica; in the county of Oneidaand State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsin Cooking Mechanism for an Automatic Machine Gun, of which thefollowing is a specification reference to enable anyone skilled in theart to which.

it appertains to make and use the same ref erence being had to theaccompanying drawings in which'like reference characters refer to likeparts throughoutv the specification.

The object of the invention is to provide manual means located adjacentthe trigger for cocking the gun whereby the hand of the operator willnot be shifted from one part of the gun to another in this operationwith the consequentloss of time and delay in firing. Inasmuch, as allautomatic fire arms must be cocked before firing the first shot of eachstring or clip, the invention is intended to apply to all such. 7

The object will be understood by referring to the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of the rear part of an automaticmachine gun, showing the cocking mechanism applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of a portion of the gun taken on the line2-2 of Fig. 1; looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 isa transverse'section of a portion of the gun and cockingmechanism, showing another position of the trigger and trigger latch;

Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of a plate employed;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the plate shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a transverse section of a portion of the gun taken on the line66 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a detail enlarged view of the ends of the plate shown in Fig.4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a portion of the receiverof the firearm is represented by 1-, the rear part of the breech bolt by2, the actuator by 8, and the actuating spring therefor by 4. The lowersurface of the receiver 1 is open and has formed on either side thereofbeveled was a; the insertionor? the per sp i g y ape ides5r of: the moe.

able retainer plate 6, whereby said plate is.

held slidingly' in assembledposition The;

evab e t in rnl efi sk c sse at-Z.

plOYlCled with; shoulders on either side 12; th -edg ofl h rec s gi. Theshoulders 8 support the cocking handle 10, whose,

upper portion 11 is recessed mi 12 12 to.

form corresponding apertures adapted to.,rc,

ceive the shoulders 8 of the retainer plate 6. The plate 6 hasanaperture lO forthe rej ception of a projection 41 of the handle 1O,

\. i The cocking handle 10 embodies besides.

whereby to movetherewith.

the upper part 11, a grip 3Q,the finger recesses 18 and 14 and thetubularcasing 15" for thereception of the spring pressed sear 16, Thesear 16 has a tooth l'T adapted to.

proj ecting downward I The tooth l7 of: the. sear 16 is disengaged atthe proper time. from the detent 18 by the end 19 of the trigger20 whichcan be turned upon its trun;; nions 2111s a fulcrum. The trunnionsZl,are formed integral with the trigger QOand engage the detent 18 from theactuator 3.

project from opposite sides thereof. v They have hearings in the openslots made the upper edge of the part 11 ofthe cocking handle 10. Thefinger piece-22 of the trigger 20 is located in the end of the recess13.

The rear side of the finger piece 22 has a shoulder 23 which is adaptedto be engaged by the projecting end 24 of the trigger latch; 25. Thetrigger latch 2 5 is provided with t nio 26 te dins; rom ppo e sidesthereof and having bearings. in the open slotsmade in the top edge-ofthe upper part 11 of the cocking handle 10. The trunnions 26 form afulcrum upon which the trigger latch 25 may be turned or rocked.

The trigger latch 25 is provided with a rearwardly extending end havinga hook 27 that is adapted to engage the edge of a shoulder 28 formed inthe gun. A coiled spring 29 resting at one end in a recess 31 of thetrigger latch 25 and at the other fastened to a cross bar 32 secured tothe upper part 11 of the cocking handle 10, normally holds the hook 27down, whereby it will engage the shoulder 28 of the gun. The hook 27extends across the interior of the gun and is adapted to rest, when thetrigger latch 25 rocks upon its fulcrum to given a position, upon theshoulders 3535 made upon either side of the interior of the gun. Inthislatter position the projection 24. of the trigger latch 25 willengage the shoulder 23 of the trigger 20 and lock said trigger in givenposition.

In operation, the gun can be cocked by grasping manually the grip 30,inserting a finger in the recess 14 to manipulate the latch 25, and thenpushing the cocking handle 10 forward from the full line to the dottedline position illustrated in Fig. 1. As the cooking handle 10 goesforward, the sear 16 will ride under and engage the de tent 18 of theactuator 3. The grip will be drawn backward then into the full lineposition illustrated in Fig. 1 to move the actuator l and the bolt 2into cocked position. During the movement of the grip 30, the trigger 20will be held in locked position to prevent the end 19 thereof fromdisengaging the sear 16 from the detent 18. When the cocking handle 10has reached its rearmost position, the pressure of the finger on thetrigger latch 25 being released, the hook 27 will under the influence ofthe spring 29 reengage the shoulder 28 to lock the parts in cockedposition. The trigger 20 can be pulled now to actuate the sear 16 inorder to release the actuator 3 to fire the gun. In this latter movementof the trigger 20, the shoulder 23 thereof will slip by the projection24: of the trigger latch 25, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. In thisinstance, the hook 27 will be locked against the shoulder 28, to therebyprevent thecocking handle 10 from going forward.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a cooking mechanism for an automatic machine gun, a cooking handlecarrying a demountable trigger, a plate having shoulders for supportingsaid cocking handle, a projection onsaid handle adapted to engage anaperture in said plate, whereby said handle will move with said plate,beveled sides on said plate for holding said cocking handle in position,and means permitting the reciprocation of said cocking handle, wherebyto cock the gun.

2. In a cocking mechanism for an automatic machine gun, a demountablecocking handle carrying a trigger, a receiver having beveled recesses, aplate having beveled sides adapted to move in said beveled recesses ofthe receiver, shoulders on said plate, said cocking handle havingapertures for the reception of said shoulders of the plate, and aprojection on said cocking handle adapted to engage an aperture in saidplate, whereby to hold said cocking handle in assembled position.

3. In a cocking mechanism for an auto matic machine gun, a gripcomprising the trigger guard, a trigger mounted in said guard, means forholding said trigger in locked position while said grip is being moved,and means for permitting said grip to move horizontally, whereby to cockthe gun.

4. In a cooking mechanism for an automatic machine gun, a gripcomprising the trigger guard, a trigger mounted in said guard, anauxiliary trigger adapted to lock said first named trigger while thegrip is being moved, and beveled recesses for permitting said grip tomove, whereby to cock the gun.

5. In a cocking mechanism for an automatic machine gun having a breechbolt. :1 cocking handle having a demountable trigger mounted therein, aplate having shoulders for supporting the demountablecocking handle, aprojection on said handle adapted to engage an aperture in said plate,where by said handle will move with said plate, a receiver havingbeveled recesses, and beveled sides on said plate adapted to slide inthe beveled recesses of the receiver, whereby the cocking handle may bemoved to cock the gun. i

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

JAMES S. JOHNSTON.

